Steps
by sunwindandwaves
Summary: Cloud woke just in time to see a long auburn braid swing out the church door.


_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, or anything that goes along with it. Except a copy of Advent Children._

Steps

Cloud woke just in time to see a long auburn braid swing out the church door.

"What the…" If this was a joke, it wasn't very funny. Cloud quickly got dressed and hurried out into Midgar. Behind him, the ruins of Aerith's church loomed high, casting a long shadow in the early morning light. In front of him, tangles of metal and stone covered the ground, perpetual reminders of the battles for the planet that had been fought one year ago.

As if he needed reminding. Cloud almost frowned, walking quickly around the rubble. He paused for a moment and looked around when a small movement caught his eye.

A slender hand with silver bracelets disappeared behind a large stone block left over from a skyscraper. Cloud vaulted over a metal beam in his way and dashed over, but when he arrived, no one was there. The hope that had begun to manifest itself died again.

Then—to his left he saw the hem of a pink dress slide through a gate into the next Sector. Cloud gritted his teeth as an unusual feeling jumped inside him and followed. If this was a joke, it _definitely _wasn't funny.

He chased the phantom to the very edge of Midgar, where a long highway stretched out onto the horizon. Always, he saw just enough to keep him going—one foot with its brown hiking boot, one arm in a red sleeve. The rest was always hidden from sight. Cloud didn't know what to think, didn't want to think. He knew it couldn't possibly be her—she'd been dead for a year, but strange things happened and—

Cloud stood at the side of the highway, eyes roving in endless circles, searching for what he knew he shouldn't be able to see. There—in the distance, a girl in a pink dress with a red jacket stood, her long braid tossed by the wind. Cloud took a step forward hesitantly before breaking into a run. It _couldn't_ be a joke, a figment of his own warped mind. It _couldn't_. She was so clear, so defined as he drew closer, he could see her green eyes, the smile she always used to wear when she saw him. Maybe it was a dream. So what? It didn't matter to Cloud.

Aerith held up her hand, a warning to stop. Cloud halted, and for a few moments their eyes locked. Cloud felt something warm move through him, some half forgotten emotion. Then, with a heartbreaking smile on her face, Aerith turned and walked away. As she walked, she moved steadily upward, as if climbing invisible stairs.

"Aerith!" Cloud tried to shout, but his throat was dry. He was frozen. All he could do was watch as Aerith walked farther and farther away, up into the sky. Whatever joy he had felt at seeing her again was torn away.

She continued climbing until she was far above Cloud's head. Then, she paused and turned to face him, smiling down at him.

"Be happy," she told him, her sweet voice taking on a strangely hollow tone. The wind increased, and with a sudden gust, the image of Aerith disappeared into a rain of yellow and white flower petals.

Cloud shut his eyes tightly, feeling the petals brush lightly against his face. He stood like that for a while, letting his grief free for a moment and ignoring the more and more common sounds of cars and motorcycles rushing by him.

Finally, he opened his eyes. The grass he was standing on was now overgrown with flowers, one bright patch in the middle of the dull stretch of land bordering the highway. Looking up, Cloud saw one last white flower petal spiraling its way slowly down. He raised his hand and caught it, careful not to crush it.

"Cloud? Cloud!" a woman's voice called. A motorcycle pulled off the road and a dark haired woman jumped off, leaving it idling. "What are you doing all the way out here?" Tifa asked.

Cloud just shrugged, still holding the white petal tightly in his fist. Tifa took in the scene, registering the flowers and Cloud's expressionless face and nodded slowly. "It's her anniversary, right? Of the day she…." Tifa didn't finish her sentence. She approached Cloud carefully, as if scared that he might break. "Are you ok?" she asked quietly.

"I think…that I'm alright…for now," he said deliberately, weighing each word. The petals had stopped falling now, and the sky was blue and cloudless, totally empty. "I saw her."

Tifa was silent for a moment. "She doesn't want you to worry, I think. I really, really believe she wants to you to know she's ok. So you can…live out her life, too."

"I was just on my way to her church," Tifa said, her voice shaky. Cloud didn't respond. He only stood and watched the sky. "Come on," said Tifa, tears sparkling on her eyelashes. "Let's go together." She grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the bike.

When they arrived at the church Cloud had just left, they walked up the front steps hand in hand, the flower petal firmly pressed between their palms.

**Constructive comments are appreciated!**


End file.
